The Mitsubishi GTO is a sports car built by JapaneseautomakerMitsubishi Motors between 1990 and 2001. In most export markets it was rebadged as a Mitsubishi 3000GT. It was also imported and sold by Chrysler in North America as a Dodge Stealthcaptive import from the 1991 to 1996 model years with only minor detail/appearance differences, mechanically the two cars were identical. The Mitsubishi GTO orMitsubishi 3000GT and the Dodge Stealth design was the result of the collaborative effort between Chrysler and its Japanese partner,Mitsubishi Motors. It took its name from the Galant GTO, a two-door hardtopcoupé sold by the company in the early 1970s, which got its name from the Ferrari GTO, which means Gran Turismo Omologato. In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called Car Plaza.

Overview

Following the successful showing of the Mitsubishi HSR and Mitsubishi HSX concept cars at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi developed the new GTO as a technologically advanced 2+2 seater sports coupe to compete with the Honda NSX, Mazda RX-7, Nissan 300ZX,Skyline GT-R, Subaru SVX and the Toyota Supra. They resurrected the GTO name, and the car went on to serve as Mitsubishi’s flagship for the remainder of the decade. However, despite the cachet of the badge at home, it was marketed as the Mitsubishi 3000GT and as the Dodge Stealth outside Japan; the company was concerned that connoisseurs would object to the evocative nameplate from the highly regarded Ferrari 250 GTO and Pontiac GTO being used on a Japanese vehicle. However, regardless of its badge or eventual target market, every car was built on the same production line at Mitsubishi's plant in Nagoya, Japan. Its introduction in Japan was during the softening of the Japanese economy, known as the "bubble economy" which had an effect on sales.A Dodge Stealth was initially to be used as a pace car for the 1991 Indianapolis 500 race. The United Auto Workers (UAW), however, did not like the idea of a Japanese-manufactured car being a pace car for the race, and a prototype Dodge Viper was substituted.

1990-1993

The first generation model incorporated many of Mitsubishi's contemporary performance-enhancing technologies, such as full time four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, active aerodynamics featuring automatically adjusting front and rear spoilers, sport/tour exhaust modes and electronically controlled suspension (ECS). Active Aerodynamics were not available on the Dodge Stealth. Visually, both cars featured pop-up headlights and noticeable "caps" on the hood to accommodate the ECS controllers at the top of the strut turrets. However the rest of factory body kit differed in styling with their respective badges. Most notable are the Dodge signature cross-hairs on the Stealth front bumper fascia, Ferrari inspired gills on the 3000GT rocker panels, Crescent shaped spoiler on the Stealth commonly referred to as the "Banana Wing" and front Active Aero air dam on 3000GT VR4 (later discontinued on newer models).

1994-1996

Second generation models are identified by a revised front bumper to accommodate projector beam headlights and small, round projector fog lights. The caps on the hood were replaced with integrated blisters, and the side air vents and rear bumpers were modified. The interior was redesigned with dual air bags, a new audio system, and revised air conditioning refrigerant. The engines in the twin-turbo models received a slight boost in torque from 416 Nm (307 lbft) to 427 Nm (315 lbft). To complement this, the VR-4 now included a six-speed Getragmanual transmission. Bigger wheel/tire combinations were provided beginning in 1995. The base and SL model received 16" wheels in silver or chrome with 225/55 tires, while the VR4 now had 18" chrome wheels with 245/40 tires (the Spyder had the standard 17" with higher profile tires from 1994 to handle the additional 400 lb (180 kg)).As the price of the cars increased, many of the "gadgets" on the car were discontinued. The tunable exhaust was phased out after model year 1994, the ECS disappeared after the 1995 model year, and the active aerodynamics disappeared after 1996. Finally, Chrysler ceased sales of the Dodge Stealth captive import, and for the remainder of its life only Mitsubishi-badged versions were available.In 1995 and 1996, special edition retractable hardtop convertible models of the 3000GT SL and VR-4 were sold in the USA. Customized by ASC in California, these cars had retractable hardtops which could be opened or closed at the touch of a button. It was the first of its kind in America since the 1957–59 Ford Skyliner, and although it was abandoned after two years because of slow sales (1618 units), it presaged a market which would eventually mature the following year with the Mercedes SLK.

1997-1999

The SOHC engine, previously only available in the base model Stealth, was added to the Mitsubishi range after the Dodge version was discontinued. Slower sales in the American sports car market led to a planned facelift for 1997 being abandoned in favor of minor cosmetic adjustments, including a new front bumper and rainbow shaped arched type wing. In 1999 the car received another exterior makeover, including a new aggressive front bumper, headlamps, turn signals, sail panels, and a true inverted airfoil spoiler coined the "Combat Wing" for the 1999 VR-4 to distinguish it from previous models. 1999 was the final year the 3000GT was available in the US market. Production for the Japanese domestic market finally ceased in 2000, with the last two cars sold the following year.